The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-07-21

Reported for the VIRGINIAN.l


wrote last week, died on Saturday an
was buried from linking Spring Churc
!, Sunday at 10 a. M His funeral wa
preached by the pastor, MI. Preston, al
was attended by d large concourse. LII
pail bearers, of whom there were eigh
were youths of near the age Of the de
ceased, and were in his lifetime his init
mate friends and schoolmates. The sol
rowing family have the heartfelt sympath
OF the whole community.
Mr.. Groomes is no better than he wa
at the last writing.
There is as yet, much sickness i'll thi
section. Few families have escaped. The
weather is extremely hot, which is 81
much the worse for those confined to bed
Our district can boast Of a greater mum
Der Of breeders Of blooded stock than any
other section Of It's size in the State, an(
the stock from the district has taken E
greater number of prizes, premiums, &c.
at fairs inside and outside of Virginia
than usually falls to the lot of any one
| section.
| Mr.. G.. Julian Pratt, whose farm is but
| a mile or two south of Waynesboro, pos
| sesses a herd Of Jerseys that would be
hard to beat, both in the number of ami
mails that compose it and in the high
standing Of its several members. His
herd has won many premiums in hotly
| contested exhibitions.
John e. Hamilton has about the largest
herd Of shorthorns of which we know, and
among the many that together make up
this fine herd, there is lot an individual
that he would fear to exhibit at any stock
show in the State.
The leading animal OF his famed herd is
. year-old fellow bearing the name of
Fitz. Lee, and a noble animal he is, too,
his weight being between two and three
thousand pounds He is as gentle as a
dog, and the smallest child on the farm
can manage him without the least trouble
Messrs. q. b. and AbsoIom Koiner, J. r.
Kemper A. II. McCue, and Burkholder
" Paul give great deal of attention to
cattle, sheep and horses.
Messrs. Burkholder & Paul last season
imported fine Kentucky Jack and their
neighbors appreciate the efforts in the
direction of mule-breeding.'
But Of all others engaged in the i'm
provement of stock hereabouts, Messrs.
3Agh A. S. Hamilton and George Bate
r1alnhead the list.
aThese gentlemen carry Oh their business
in o-partnership, and while Nh. Hamil-
ton, On his magnificent farm on Christian
creek. handles certain classes of cattle,
sheep, hogs, and poultry, Mr.. Bateman on
his farm mile above him on the same
stream, looks after other breeds of the
same animals.
Your correspondent spent a pleasant
season some time ago rambling around on
a tour OF inspection on MI. Hamilton's |
farm, and more pleasant time than was
thus enjoyed would be hard to imagine.
His stock of hogs is made up of all the
most valuable breeds, such as Berkshires, !
Poland China, Sc, sc, and in each pen !
occupied by an animal old enough to have |
attended the last years fairs were prem
ium takers.
In the sheep tlocks you find the finest |
animals Of that breed in the South. if not |
in the nation. Nearly all the ewes in the |
flock Of Cotswolds are imported, and none
but imported bucks are kept for breeding
purposes. For q number of years Mr.. !
Hamilton's CotsWolds have taken all the !
premiums offered at all the county fairs |
~
offered at the state fairs. In 1885 this !
flock carried off five Of the six premiums
offered at the State fair
This flock gave an average of Is lbs of |
wool at the last two shearings
The Southdown flock is like the Cots.
void, made up Of the choicest animals to
be found, and like it, has taken all the
premiums offered in this class at the State
fair for four years, as also those offered at
county fairs.
The Cotswold flock is headed by Ken
lucky Pride, while Davenport leads the
Southdowns. The pedigree of the first is
as follows: Kentucky Pride. sire Proud
Chief 739, vol. I'd, A. r. G. First dam by
Sir John Mcdonald, Sd do. by Second
Prince of Wales, 4th do. W. F. Hearns
Premium eve $40, vol. 2, A. r. G. Proud
Chief was bred by Robt. Jacobs, England;
Royal Chief, 637, vol. I'd, A. G, r, was
bred by John Smell S Sons, Ontario, Canada.
Sir John Mcdonald bred by same, sc.
Davenport's pedigree is none the shorter,
and among his ancestors sare Chas. Head
ley, $780, bred by Lord Walsingham and
others of as high standing
In fact Mr.. Hamilton can point with
just pride to as fine a collection of sheep
as are owned in all the land.
All those engaged in this most impor-
tant business are thoroughly equipped for
teach enc being the owner CT fine |
farm, to which he has added all barns,
sheds: and other buildings for the
comfortable housing of animals. Mr..
Hamilton is more conveniently surrounded !
however, as he has, by means of Ward
engine, water wherever he wants it, He
has as complete and perfect a system of
water works on his farm as can be found
in any city; and this system renders the
care of his stock quite an easy matter
Besides the gentlemen above named, there
are great many others engaged similarly
but not to SO great an extent.
Goodies Alton House is filling up
rapidly with visitors, and before great
while, should the weather continue hot,
city people will be glad to take roosting
room in open air only for the privilege of
enjoying the delights that Alton affords. |
No where in the mountains Of Virginia is
there more delightful resort. No other
hotel offers its guests a better table or
more comfortable quarters at as reason
able figures, and no other place can boast |
of @ better class of visitors than those who
annually flock to Alton House.
And mine host-well in James Goodloe |
are to be found all the good qualities of a |
frst-class hotel man, while at the same |
time he is free from any of the objection |
able features. 1t is worth the price of q |
months board anywhere else to hear that !
gentleman's hearty peal of laughter ring
ing out upon the pure mountain air. |
Alton is never without a crowd after the |